In many residential subdivisions, local building regulations require that all utilities such as electricity, telephone, gas, water, cable television, etc. be installed underground. Electricity is carried by underground residential distribution (URD) systems. A system comprises various types of components, including cables, transformers, switchgear and protective devices. URD systems are most often fed from overhead primary distribution lines. The URD system is connected to the overhead system at one or more cable poles or riser poles. From the cable pole the URD cable runs down the pole and continues underground. The underground cable runs to a transformer that converts the higher voltage from the overhead primary line down to a lower or secondary voltage that is distributed to individual customers. It will be understood that a number of branch lines or secondary cables run underground from the transformer to the various customers.
Because only a relatively short length of the secondary cable is visible before it enters the ground, and because there are numerous secondary cables exiting any given transformer, there exists a risk of misidentification of a secondary cable during repair. Moreover, repair personnel inspecting the transformer may not be aware if one or more of the secondary cables is under repair at a site remote from the transformer, which could create a hazard for repair personnel at the remote site. Also, there may be abandoned secondary cables connected at the transformer.
It would be advantageous, therefore, to have an apparatus for connecting to a URD cable that indicates the status of the cable.